Irvine council OKs Great Park audit, ends contracts, cuts board

Irvine City Council member Larry Agran defends the Great Park Board of Directors during a City Council meeting Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Update: IRVINE – On a night when there was little if any consensus among two factions of Irvine's City Council, the last vote at 1:34 a.m. Wednesday was unanimous – all five council members voted in favor of seeking proposals from auditors to take a closer look at the Great Park's books since 2005, a motion made by returning Councilwoman Christina Shea.

A proposal from Mayor Steven Choi to cut the nine-person Great Park Corp.'s board of directors to five by eliminating all of the appointed positions, and another by Councilman Jeff Lalloway to immediately terminate the park's contracts with public relations firm Forde & Mollrich and lobbying firm Townsend Public Affairs Inc. also won approval but with 3-2 votes. Council members Beth Krom and Larry Agran opposed the measures.

Lalloway, in introducing his motion, revealed that Newport-based Forde & Mollrich - which has worked for the city for about 14 years beginning with its fight to defeat the proposal to build a commercial airport at El Toro – has been paid $19.8 million over that time, with $12.4 million of that earned after the city in March 2002 won Measure W, which called for the Great Park plan.

"We need to stop talking about building a Great Park and actually start building a Great Park," he said.

It took several hours before any votes were made, with the first, on Choi's proposal, at 10:57 p.m. after lengthy comments from each council member, responses to more than 30 members of the public as well as back-and-forth arguments among the council about procedural issues.

In explaining his proprosal to winnow the Great Park's board, Choi said his encounters with other elected officials have been embarrassing because the first question is undoubtedly, "How's the Great Park?"

He said now is the time to focus and rethink the park's development and do it cost-efficiently.

He questioned whether the city is in the park-construction business or in the entertainment business. The park has hosted numerous events, concerts and theatrical performances – what officials have called "activating" the park.

"Of course when you throw a party, people will come," Choi said.

Krom and Agran, long in the council's voting majority but no longer, since November, defended their efforts to build the Great Park in the last decade.

"Yes, I'm part of the old majority. I'm proud of what we did," Krom said, noting that her majority could have consolidated the board's power to just the City Council. "We didn't do that. I'm glad we didn't do that."

Agran compared the Great Park project to the development of the former military base in neighboring Tustin, where the council oversees all aspects of the project.

"They have not produced one single stick in the ground," he said. "I fear the same trend for our own city."

Before Tuesday night's vote, the Great Park board had been relegated to an advisory role for several years, with decisions requiring a vote from the city council.

Related Links

Irvine City Council member Larry Agran defends the Great Park Board of Directors during a City Council meeting Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Newly elected Supervisor Todd Spitzer addresses the Irvine City Council during public comments on three big Great Park proposals up for a vote Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Irvine Councilman Larry Agran brought boxes and papers in to illustrate the planning that's been accomplished on the Great Park during the council meeting Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Irvine City Council members, from left, Jeff Lalloway, Mayor Steven S. Choi, Christina Shea and Larry Agran prepare for public comments on three big Great Park proposals up for a vote Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Newly-elected Supervisor Todd Spitzer addresses the Irvine City Council during public comments on three big Great Park proposals up for a vote Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Irvine Councilwoman Beth Krom addresses the public before hearing from constituents on three big Great Park proposals up for a vote Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Newly elected Supervisor Todd Spitzer addresses the Irvine City Council during public comments on three big Great Park proposals up for a vote Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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